Emilie Ulrich

Danish Soprano opera singer, November 26, 1872 in Frerslev near Haslev, died January 31, 1952 in Copenhagen. She was educated by Sophie Keller and later in Germany, and debuted at the Royal Theater on May 9, 1894 as Margarethe in Arrigo Boitos Mefistofeles. She was then engaged at the Royal Theater until her departure in 1917. Ulrich's bright, clear soprano gave her a prominent place in the opera repertoire along with singers such as Niels Juel Simonsen, Vilhelm Herold and Helge Nissen. She soon sang major pathetic roles as Senta in The Flying Dutchman, Elsa in Lohengrin, Julia in Romeo and Juliet, Violetta in La traviata and Nedda in Pajazzo, and later lighter roles as Rosina in The Barber in Seville, Zerlina in Don Juan and Angela in The black domino. Ulrich was not considered a major dramatic talent, but musical understanding and empathy characterized her art, and when the role suited her personality, she was said to endow it with a peculiar poetry. In such a role, Mimi in La Bohème, she performed for the last time on May 21, 1917. She was a royal chamber singer and married in 1899 to Lieutenant Colonel Kay Ulrich. In 1917 she received the medal Ingenio et arti, and in 1932 she was awarded the Tagea Brandt travel grant for women.